Rare sight in the city

[Jon1270]

Despite already having about as much wood as I can store, I pursued a craigslist ad that popped up a couple of hours ago and arrived just in time to see these guys kick out the wedge and make the back cut on this 76-year-old red oak. Most trees in my area have to be taken down in pieces, but this one stood at one end of a vacant lot and leaned in exactly the right direction, so they took it down the exciting way. Had it fallen backwards it would've taken out power lines, blocked off a dead-end street and crushed a house. If it had fallen even a few degrees to the left or right, it would've scraped the side off of one or another house, but it went down very neatly. Even after the crash there were branches sticking up close to 30' in the air.

I took a bit just for fun and exercise. If I had the land for it I could spend days chipping away at it; wouldn't surprise me if there's 4 or 5 cords lying there.

 

[bogydave]

A ground shaker

Lots of BTUs there.
Does it hurt a bit to pass on a good score like that ?

 

[Jon1270]

Does it hurt a bit to pass on a good score like that ?

Yes, yes it does. I'm tempted to go back and ask them to leave me a single slice of the trunk, just so I can see how may splits I can get out of it.

 

[bogydave]

Yes, yes it does. I'm tempted to go back and ask them to leave me a single slice of the trunk, just so I can see how may splits I can get out of it.

I agree, if you could get it into the truck
Make some nice 4" x 6" s to burn in 3 years

 

[Jon1270]

I agree, if you could get it into the truck

The only way a slice like that is getting in my vehicle is in pieces.

I went back to ask, and while the tree is still there, the guys were gone for the day. I used my dinky 18" saw to scribe a line 14" from the butt and left a note asking them to finish the cut for me. If they oblige, I'll split it up and report back.

On second viewing I think my cordage guesstimate was probably high. Might only be 3 cords or so. Still pretty impressive.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Looks like big in diameter but not as tall as I would expect. Still plenty of good wood in that baby.

 

[Jon1270]

Still plenty of good wood in that baby.

Completely solid, too. At first the guy who cut it down thought it had a forearm-sized hole in the center of the butt end, but then I noticed it was just fiber pull; the missing wood was still standing on the stump.

 

[osagebow]

Nice big 'ol oak trunk. Don't forget the Iron City if they hook you up!

 

[bogydave]

Nice big 'ol oak trunk. Don't forget the Iron City if they hook you up!

Maybe Stoney's :
)

 

[Jon1270]

Don't forget the Iron City if they hook you up!

They're happy to let me take as much as I want, but I have no place to put it. It doesn't even make sense for me to have taken the bit I took today, or the slice of trunk if they leave it for me, but I can't help myself; the wood is so pretty, smells so good, and splitting it is so satisfying. But at best I can keep about 4 cords on hand without cluttering my yard to the point of irritating neighbors, which means I just can't load up on wood that takes 3 years to season. So sad...

 

[osagebow]

They still make Stoney's? awesome!

 

[blades]

My what will power, but flaunting it in the face of us all with terminal " Wood Acquisition Disease " is just down right mean.